The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - Christmas deemed not inclusive enough by elementary school

00:00:00.000 An Albertan elementary school in White Court cancelled its winter concert before Christmas

00:00:04.520 break after the principal said it wasn't inclusive enough. We'll be discussing another

00:00:09.080 small Albertan town on the show today too, that being Barhead for passing a bylaw that

00:00:14.240 ensures all public buildings, crosswalks, and flags remain neutral on social or political

00:00:19.920 issues. Looking more provincially, Albertans will be able to rejoice at the fact that the

00:00:24.280 province plans to move 70% of photo radar sites, then moving from provincially to federally

00:00:29.720 we'll look at a recent report showing that despite the Liberals' oil and gas emissions

00:00:34.480 cap and other anti-energy policies, Canadian oil and gas drilling will reach levels not

00:00:39.740 seen since before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office in 2015.

00:00:44.700 I'm Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the Alberta Roundup. Let's hop into that first story now.

00:00:59.720 So just like last week, we're going to visit our old friend and host of the show, Rachel

00:01:04.420 Parker, who posted portions of the Pat Hardy Elementary School principal's statement to

00:01:09.800 X. The post featured a link to the full document, but warned that it might soon be deleted. And

00:01:16.200 that's exactly what happened. When I wrote the story last Friday, the statement was completely

00:01:20.940 accessible with the link. It has since been removed. In her statement, the principal said,

00:01:26.620 Not all students celebrate Christmas, and their families may or may not choose to have them

00:01:31.980 participate in the Christmas concert. Other families celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday,

00:01:37.740 but do not want children engaging in the non-religious parts such as Santa, Christmas, trees, etc.

00:01:43.840 Despite arguing that Christmas is a non-inclusive time, the entire school has Christmas break and

00:01:49.420 no school between December 23rd and January 7th. The principal added that while some students

00:01:55.380 celebrate Christmas traditions, such as Santa, trees, and gifts, they do not participate in the

00:02:01.140 religious aspect of the holiday. She said in her since-deleted statement, quote,

00:02:06.240 Preparing for a concert involves months of preparation and daily practice in the final weeks prior to the

00:02:11.620 event. As a result, students who are not participating are excluded from multiple music lessons and

00:02:16.740 classroom practices for an extended period of time. She added, quote,

00:02:21.320 We work hard to find ways to ensure our events are as inclusive to as many students and families as

00:02:27.320 possible. The principal explained that the music teacher is currently covering a grade 4 classroom and

00:02:32.220 cannot facilitate this year's concert. She said that a spring concert would be more inclusive.

00:02:37.720 Northern Gateway Public Schools superintendent, Kevin Bird, said in a statement to me that the

00:02:43.300 principal's initial statement poorly expressed the reason for the concert being moved,

00:02:47.260 which he said was due to the music teacher's unavailability. He said the decision was made

00:02:52.660 weeks ago and was supported by numerous parents. However, Bird alluded to the fact that the school

00:02:58.040 faced backlash for this decision, especially from Ontario, where he said many of the calls to the

00:03:03.420 school came from. Bird added that various Christmas events, including Christmas choir, tree decorating,

00:03:09.500 gift making, and more are still taking place at the school. He said, quote,

00:03:14.340 While I am not happy with the move of the concert, I am heartened by the scheduled events and the

00:03:19.940 reality of Christmas activities for the students that seem reflective of the true meaning of

00:03:24.480 Christmas. He added that he has not once heard a recent immigrant or refugee to Canada express

00:03:29.900 concerns about a Christmas concert and is frustrated that the school may have contributed negatively to

00:03:35.940 the narrative. Bird said, quote, While I know that what was published in the newsletter was done with the

00:03:41.160 best of intentions, that doesn't mean it was done the right way or in the right place. He added that

00:03:46.340 some students do not participate in some or all Christmas activities, but that no families have

00:03:52.040 ever asked for a school-wide change. Bird said, quote, With inflation, increased taxation, political

00:03:58.640 scandals, strife abroad, etc., it is a difficult time. There are people struggling in all our communities

00:04:05.260 with physical and emotional needs or perhaps struggling also to find place and purpose. He noted that

00:04:11.040 many things are taking place in the community to support those in need. Bird said, quote,

00:04:15.720 I would have liked to see some of the items discussed in the school newsletter as reasons to

00:04:20.080 have Christmas concerts rather than the other way around, providing perhaps a momentary reminder of

00:04:25.580 peace and goodwill in what for some, including me at times, can be a very difficult season.

00:04:31.280 Now moving over to a different Alberta town, Barhead has passed a bylaw to ensure that all public

00:04:36.920 buildings, crosswalks and flags remain, quote, neutral on social or political issues. This means

00:04:44.260 pride crosswalks will not be allowed. The town of Barhead held a plebiscite vote on the motion on

00:04:50.580 Monday. A total of 1,145 votes were cast, 653 or 57% for and 492 or 43% against. The neutral space

00:05:02.980 bylaw mandates that crosswalks are only painted in standard white stripe patterns between two

00:05:08.160 parallel lines. It's the family and friends event at Shopper's Drug Mart. Get 20% off almost all

00:05:15.440 regular priced merchandise. Two days only. Tuesday, February 24th and Wednesday, February 25th.

00:05:21.540 Open your PC Optimum app to get your coupon.

00:05:23.700 The bylaw also states that only national flags, the provincial flag of Alberta or the town of

00:05:32.140 Barhead flags are flown on public property. The bylaw reads, quote, there will be no decorations on

00:05:38.180 town crosswalks or displaying a flag supporting political, social or religious movements or commercial

00:05:44.400 entities. It added, quote, no grandfathering of any existing crosswalks or flags that contravene the

00:05:50.820 new bylaw will be authorized. Now, you may remember that Westlock held a similar vote in February 2024.

00:05:59.280 That vote, however, was much closer, with 663 people voting yes and 639 voting no. According to

00:06:06.460 Alberta's Municipal Government Act, a petition must be signed by at least 10% of a municipality's

00:06:12.000 population to go before the city council. Barhead's petition for the bylaw featured signatures from around

00:06:17.380 16% of the population. The city said that more than double that, 33% of eligible voters came to

00:06:25.080 cast their ballots. The city council could either pass the bylaw through three readings or allow the

00:06:30.520 community to decide through a plebiscite. The city said, quote, to ensure a broader representation of

00:06:37.040 community voices, council opted for the plebiscite. The petition was sponsored by Barhead Neutrality,

00:06:43.240 a group of residents who said it supports the freedoms of beliefs, speech, and expression of

00:06:48.600 all people. Ard Durnbos, a member of Barhead Neutrality, told me that it was encouraging that

00:06:55.020 the Barhead vote had a larger margin of agreement than Westlock. He said going door-to-door was not

00:07:00.740 difficult but time-consuming and required many volunteers. Durnbos said, quote, but the online world

00:07:07.620 is a beast. One of the hardest things for us as a team was that we felt we were constantly correcting

00:07:14.060 misinformation from a misunderstanding of the proposed bylaw and a misunderstanding of our

00:07:19.020 concerns and position. Lots of responding and clarifying, and that was simply mentally draining.

00:07:25.460 He did add, however, that the town was mostly supportive and that over 20 businesses put up

00:07:30.300 posters supporting the group and its motion. Durnbos said, quote, I want to reiterate that this was not a

00:07:37.220 love versus hate vote for us. We did not set out to incite hate into the community but rather

00:07:42.400 to keep our community open and welcome to everyone of all stripes. We saw the past two years of the

00:07:48.960 division caused by painted crosswalks and didn't feel we had any recourse to appeal them. I also had

00:07:55.600 the chance to speak with Stephanie Bakker, a spokesperson for the Westlock Neutrality team that helped lead

00:08:00.780 her town's petition. She said her team had been in contact with Barheads throughout the entire process.

00:08:06.160 While Bakker said she feels Westlock influenced what happened in Barhead, she noted that their

00:08:11.120 city council took a more neutral stance compared to when Westlock's mayor and council publicly

00:08:16.040 opposed the bylaw, which she added may have worked against them. Bakker added that all the negative

00:08:21.880 hypotheticals people proposed would happen in Westlock following their bylaw enactment, like being

00:08:26.860 unable to attract doctors, to the town did not occur. She said, quote, it's easy to be angry online,

00:08:33.680 but when you're face to face with your neighbor in the grocery store, people behave a lot differently.

00:08:38.920 Bakker said that the tides may be shifting in Alberta, where people are beginning to realize

00:08:43.560 they're not alone and just want to get along. She thinks the bylaw has actually encouraged kindness

00:08:49.400 instead of hate. She said that other towns have reached out and encouraged any others seeking

00:08:55.800 guidance to follow suit. So my question for all of you today is, why does it seem like the small

00:09:01.780 towns in Alberta always seem to be the ones sticking up for freedom? Not just in this example, but as

00:09:08.140 we've also seen with photo radar, for example, I mean, do you think there's anything that could occur

00:09:13.400 in the cities to force them to follow suit or perhaps just encourage them? Anyways, speaking of

00:09:19.440 photo radar, let's hop into the next story, which is of the Alberta government announcing it would end

00:09:24.280 using photo radar as a revenue generator at a Monday press conference. Alberta's Minister of

00:09:29.740 Transportation, Devin Drishan, had the following to say about the cash cow that is photo radar.

00:09:35.160 Our goal is clear to ensure that photo radar is a tool for protecting people, not a government cash cow.

00:09:42.060 Last year alone, Alberta's photo radar system generated $145 million, but this revenue came

00:09:48.220 at the expense of public trust. With these changes, we are putting safety first. Let me be clear, our

00:09:55.260 government has zero tolerance for dangerous or reckless driving. Traditional enforcement has

00:10:00.260 always been and always will be important to keep our roads and communities safe. These changes ensure

00:10:06.980 that enforcement focuses on where it matters most, protecting lives and enhancing safety on our roads.

00:10:13.180 This is a historic day for Alberta drivers. As we turn up the heat, we fire up the grill and say

00:10:19.040 goodbye to the photo radar cash cow. So starting April 1st, 2025, photo radar usage will be restricted

00:10:26.040 to schools, playgrounds, and construction zones. Photo radar will also be removed from intersections

00:10:32.680 where drivers were ticketed speeding on a green light. However, red light cameras will remain.

00:10:38.000 Every single photo radar site in Alberta will be reviewed over the next four months. The changes are

00:10:44.120 anticipated to bring down the current 2,200 photo radar sites down to 650 locations, which is a 70%

00:10:51.320 reduction. The reduction will put Alberta more in line with other provinces. Apparently, approximately

00:10:56.800 70% more photo radar sites are used in Alberta's 24 municipalities compared to the next highest province.

00:11:03.760 However, municipalities will have the ability to request photo radar outside of the three key areas on a

00:11:09.440 case-by-case basis if they can provide evidence of a high frequency of collisions. These exceptions

00:11:15.520 would come on a, quote, exceptional basis, according to the province's press release. The exceptions would

00:11:21.140 be subject to an audit every two years to prove they're reducing collisions. Drieschen said that

00:11:26.440 successful photo radar should slow drivers down immediately, not result in them being mailed a

00:11:32.080 ticket weeks later, a ticket they aren't receiving anyways, thanks to the Canada Post strike. While some

00:11:37.900 municipalities have claimed that photo radar has resulted in fewer tickets and collisions, Drieschen

00:11:42.500 argued that the data show mixed results. For example, he said that some municipalities have also removed

00:11:48.660 photo radar and seen fewer collisions. Alberta previously banned photo radar fishing holes that

00:11:54.940 focused on revenue generation instead of traffic safety on ring roads in Edmonton and Calgary in November

00:12:00.500 2023. Drieschen highlighted Camrose as a successful photo radar program. He said,

00:12:06.040 they lose money on photo radar, but nobody speeds through the city. Drieschen said, quote,

00:12:11.360 and that's something that we want to work with municipalities to make sure we can help them use

00:12:15.300 photo radar as a traffic safety tool and not as a revenue generator. While photo radar will decrease,

00:12:21.320 Drieschen said cities could install more red light cameras. However, he said, at least with those,

00:12:26.560 the data are clear. Drivers slow down because of red light cameras. The changes are expected to negatively

00:12:32.140 affect the province's and municipalities bottom lines. However, the province's most recent fiscal

00:12:38.220 update showed that the expected surplus rose once again to now $4.6 billion, a further increase from

00:12:45.720 the updated $2.9 billion after the initially forecasted $367 million surplus. Now taking a rare

00:12:53.860 national look at things on this Alberta show, the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors

00:12:59.140 forecasts an increase in Canadian oil and gas drilling with levels not seen since Prime

00:13:04.120 Minister Justin Trudeau took office in 2015. While the report highlighted the industry's positive

00:13:09.620 contributions and commitment to responsible resource development, it was critical of the

00:13:14.500 federal government. The report reads, quote, however, the Association has been sorely disappointed

00:13:20.580 by the lack of support from the federal government. Policies like the oil and gas emissions cap

00:13:26.280 and anti-greenwashing provisions in Bill C-59 have left Canada's energy sector in a difficult position,

00:13:33.540 severely weakening its investment climate and creating additional uncertainty at a time when

00:13:38.620 affordability and global energy security are already under threat. The report also expects the number of

00:13:44.340 jobs to increase to 41,800 in 2025, which will be a 7% increase from 2024. The release reads, quote,

00:13:52.400 With increased pipeline capacity following the completion of the Trans Mountain Expansion and

00:13:57.600 LNG Canada projects, combined with the new U.S. administration's strong interests in securing more

00:14:04.180 affordable energy, Canada's growth potential in oil and gas is only expected to increase. The

00:14:09.860 Association argued that while other countries have seen the importance of hydrocarbons in the world's

00:14:15.280 energy future, Canada's federal government has taken the opposite approach. The release reads, quote,

00:14:21.580 Ottawa's top-down approach with energy-producing provinces has not only ignored the strategic

00:14:26.600 value of Canada's resources but also posed potential constitutional challenges. We'll remember that

00:14:32.540 even if the federal government continues to wage its war on energy, Danielle Smith will not let them

00:14:37.760 encroach on provincial jurisdiction. Smith said that Alberta will invoke the Sovereignty Act to combat the

00:14:43.220 Liberals' oil and gas emissions cap, arguing that it violated Section 92A of the Constitution,

00:14:48.520 which grants provinces exclusive jurisdiction over non-renewable natural resource development.

00:14:54.620 The report said that if Canada continues its war against energy, it will further erode its GDP

00:14:59.700 growth and translate into smaller paychecks and a lower standard of living for Canadian families.

00:15:05.740 A report from the Conference Board of Canada previously estimated that the emissions cap would result in

00:15:10.480 the average Canadian family having $419 less monthly for groceries, utility, and mortgage payments.

00:15:17.480 The report added that the cap would reduce Canada's GDP by up to $1 trillion between 2030 and 2040

00:15:24.620 and risk losing up to 151,000 jobs by 2030. The association called on the Liberals to introduce

00:15:31.820 legislation allowing Canada to preserve millions of Canadians' jobs and livelihoods while supporting

00:15:37.900 environmental stewardship in the industry. It reads, quote,

00:15:41.480 Our future and the future of generations to come depend on Canada's ability to compete on the world stage,

00:15:48.320 which will never be achieved unless the positive contributions and economic significance of our industry

00:15:53.560 are recognized at the highest levels of government. We must work together to design pragmatic legislation

00:15:59.240 that reflects our potential and strengthens our presence in the global energy sector,

00:16:03.720 and our association is committed to collaborating with any government to reach that goal.

00:16:08.620 So that wraps up our stories for this week, but we'll hop into the comment roundup section here.

00:16:13.480 Lots of the comments were in response to Smith's pledge to invoke the Sovereignty Act,

00:16:18.060 so we'll start there.

00:16:19.240 At David Tan 172 said, quote,

00:16:22.060 Bravo! Canada needs to grow its economy, not shrink it.

00:16:26.260 Yeah, I figured this comment would be fitting to start with, given the last story in today's show,

00:16:30.780 considering we're actually anticipating oil and gas drilling to grow in lieu of the emissions cap

00:16:35.580 and other anti-energy initiatives. My question is, how strong could our economy be if we actually

00:16:41.040 supported energy development and production instead of the opposite? Maybe we'll find out one day if

00:16:46.660 Canada inherits a federal government that treats energy development favorably and realizes that we

00:16:51.620 can have a global impact in a time of need. Yeah, so it was more challenging to find other comments

00:16:56.340 not about Smith, as so many of you were celebrating her in the last video. However,

00:17:01.800 I thought I'd highlight the next comment, which came from at MRG8255, who said, quote,

00:17:08.260 The UCP is the hardest working government in Canada. The raise is quite modest and reasonable.

00:17:13.260 So I wanted to highlight this because I wasn't sure how you'd all react to the politicians

00:17:17.600 increasing their living accommodation allowances, as most people are usually against politicians

00:17:22.500 giving themselves raises. Although, as I mentioned last week, they said the raise was long overdue

00:17:28.460 and well below how much the cost of living has increased since their last raise. But a lot of

00:17:34.600 you liked that comment, so I thought I'd highlight it. So the last comments I want to cover are about

00:17:38.360 Alberta separation. At Basement Banter 366 said, quote, Should be invoking a separation act,

00:17:44.100 Saskatchewan as well, and I assume you were talking about Alberta. Similarly, Fat Lewis 085222 said, quote,

00:17:52.500 Alberta wants independence from Ottawa. At least in my mind, these are two separate things,

00:17:56.820 so I'll discuss them both separately. Firstly, on the separation, I don't see that being pursued,

00:18:02.400 as I think many conservative premiers are counting down the days until the next federal election,

00:18:07.940 confident that the conservatives will win federally, and thus the need to separate will

00:18:12.040 be short-lived. However, I've always thought that if Trudeau were to somehow win the next election,

00:18:17.020 Smith might seriously consider separating from Canada. Although it's unclear to me how easy that would

00:18:22.380 be to initiate in reality, but based on President-elect Donald Trump's recent statements,

00:18:28.020 I'm sure he'd accept her happily. As for the independence from Ottawa comment,

00:18:32.260 the first thing that comes to mind are the federal elections. The election always seems to be called

00:18:38.880 before the West is even counted. The East has that much electoral power. So I'll ask you,

00:18:44.900 do any electoral reforms come to mind that might grant the West more power? And is this an issue that

00:18:50.560 even needs to be addressed? That wraps up our comment roundup and this week's show.

00:18:55.400 Once again, my name's Isaac Lameru, your host of the Alberta Roundup. Have a great weekend,

00:19:00.260 thank you and God bless, may Alberta prosper strong and free.

The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - December 07, 2024

Christmas deemed not inclusive enough by elementary school

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